The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum (BSRM) is proud to announce the acquisition of First Light 1849 (nee Boston & Maine 1113), a 1941 Electro-Motive Division (EMD) SW-1, from the Mt. Tom Energy Plant located in Holyoke, Massachusetts. As one of only three remaining Boston & Maine SW-1s, it was identified by the museum’s curatorial staff as a “top priority” to further diversify the collection, particularly given its regional significance and originality. An initial attempt was made by the BSRM shortly after the plant was closed in 2014 but company officials had yet to determine whether the unit would be outright sold or transferred to another operation. With permitting secured, demolition of the site began in earnest in 2017 by Environmental Remediation Services (ERSI) of East Syracuse, New York. The small, one stall engine house which kept the locomotive out of the elements since its purchase from the Boston & Maine in July 1959 was the first to go, leaving behind a trail of mangled track and a clear indication the 1849 was next. However, Neil Black, a 40-year veteran of the plant and long-time maintainer of the unit would intervene. For him, the locomotive not only represented the pride he felt in keeping the lights on throughout the Pioneer Valley but memories of his colleagues who “had put their kids through college with the salaries they earned here.” Moved to action, Neil quietly let those who could potentially help know the 1849’s fate was hanging in the balance.

A flurry of emails, phone calls and texts ensued to stave off scrapping, at least temporarily. As access to the site was restricted, arrangements were made to inspect the unit as the overall condition was unknown, even within the preservation community. Members of the BSRM mechanical team arrived to find what Tom Delasco, chief mechanical officer, called a “time capsule.” With the exception of a few aesthetic modifications, 1849’s nearly sixty-years behind a protective fence had not only left its historic fabric intact but in excellent physical and mechanical condition. It was clear employees like Neil Black had taken as much pride in maintaining the locomotive as they did the plant. Further conversations would reveal the unit last ran on January 7, 2014 and had, just a year prior, received substantial mechanical work at Pan Am Railway’s East Deerfield maintenance facility.

Negotiations began with ERSI president Tim Niedzwiecki, who quickly understood the significance of the artifact and the mission of the BSRM. Terms were settled on and a bill-of-sale drafted by the museum’s general counsel Pamela Green in early February. As of February 23, the unit is en-route via Pan Am Railways to its new home in North Adams, Massachusetts. Initial plans include a more thorough mechanical assessment and installation of new batteries, in addition to the acquisition of a proper bell, its original having been stolen after the plant closure. The phase one budget for the unit is $8,000 and will allow it to become operational. Donations can be made via PayPal and are greatly appreciated. (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=2QYQRMHKNZ536)

President of BSRM Jay Green remarked, “Preserving these types of artifacts is as much about the stories they tell as it is the actual artifact itself. The 1849 represents not just a significant piece of New England railroad history but even more, the people of western Massachusetts. The museum looks forward to using the locomotive to tell the story of the Mt. Tom Power Plant, the people who worked there and the customers it served.”

The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum would like to extend its sincere gratitude to Neil Black, the employees of Pan Am Railways, Environmental Remediation Services, Kevin Burkholder and the dedicated volunteers who have allowed a significant piece of New England railroad history to be saved and interpreted for generations to come.

Attachments:

Roster Shot #2 (1113).jpg [ 121.13 KiB | Viewed 3810 times ]

Neil Black (1113).jpg [ 87.31 KiB | Viewed 3810 times ]

Historic #3 (1113).jpg [ 216.14 KiB | Viewed 3810 times ]

Scott Kwiatkowski

Post subject: Re: Boston & Maine SW-1 Saved in Western Massachusetts

Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:02 am

Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 5:29 pmPosts: 262Location: Three Bridges NJ

Brent,

Great save, yes, it’s all about the chase, and so satisfying when it all works out, congratulations!

Good luck with restoring her to B&M livery, nice to have a garage keep pre-war baby.

Scott

train guy

Post subject: Re: Boston & Maine SW-1 Saved in Western Massachusetts

Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2018 11:32 am

Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2013 7:20 pmPosts: 187

Great save! Always liked the look of the SW-1's.

Bad Order

Post subject: Re: Boston & Maine SW-1 Saved in Western Massachusetts

Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2018 12:41 pm

Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 1:16 pmPosts: 85

Question about the black and white photo: Is that slender, grey item above the front truck.. coming out from behind the front step.. a pole for use with the "poling pocket"?

Cameron Wolk

Post subject: Re: Boston & Maine SW-1 Saved in Western Massachusetts

Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2018 1:17 pm

Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 11:34 pmPosts: 249

Bad Order wrote:

Question about the black and white photo: Is that slender, grey item above the front truck.. coming out from behind the front step.. a pole for use with the "poling pocket"?

Yes, it certainly looks like one. I wonder if they'll implement that feature into its restoration.

Mount Royal

Post subject: Re: Boston & Maine SW-1 Saved in Western Massachusetts

Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2018 1:28 pm

Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:21 pmPosts: 358Location: Danbury, CT

Looks like a push pole to me. It would be an interesting detail to include in its restoration for sure. I’ve explained pole pockets to several observant visitors over the years.

Nice find and save, BSRM. I have a soft spot for switch engines.

_________________Randy PattersonRMNE/NAUG

MEC_557

Post subject: Re: Boston & Maine SW-1 Saved in Western Massachusetts

Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2018 10:31 pm

Joined: Sun Jun 27, 2010 12:24 amPosts: 272Location: H2O-town, CT

So, I have been trying to figure out this for days and haven't yet. What is the third B&M SW1 left? All I know is the 1109 and this, the 1113. Except for some spare parts kept it's NOT the 1110.

robertjohndavis

Post subject: Re: Boston & Maine SW-1 Saved in Western Massachusetts

Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2018 11:44 pm

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:10 amPosts: 2417

MEC_557 wrote:

So, I have been trying to figure out this for days and haven't yet. What is the third B&M SW1 left? All I know is the 1109 and this, the 1113. Except for some spare parts kept it's NOT the 1110.

Why limit ourselves to three?

#1109 RMNE#1113 at Mount Tom#1114 became the Stone Mountain “boxcar” and later back to an industrial switcher in GA (still there?)#1122 ISLX#1126 Luzerne & Susquehanna#1127 L&S

#1118 was LTEX #1400, not sure it is still around

Any more?

Rob

Brent S. Bette

Post subject: Re: Boston & Maine SW-1 Saved in Western Massachusetts

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2018 1:23 pm

Joined: Wed May 12, 2010 1:24 pmPosts: 58

UPDATE

Since the acquisition and initial movement out of the Mt. Tom plant, the locomotive arrived at its final destination in North Adams, MA. For those unfamiliar with this area of New England, the final leg of the journey required a trip through the famed 4-mile Hoosac Tunnel, adding yet another interesting chapter to an already remarkable story. While no historic evidence exists to support this assertion, it is theorized the last time the locomotive headed through the tunnel was on its journey east to the Mt. Tom plant, 59-years prior.

Upon arrival, an inspection was conducted and no issues were observed. The BSRM would like to thank the hard working men and women of Pan Am Railways who not only made the move possible but provided additional encouragement and even excitement, reinforcing the importance of this acquisition.

To date, fundraising efforts allowed for the purchase a second Leslie 125 horn. Initially, it was believed the horn had been stolen between 2014 and 2018. However, evidence shows it was actually removed much earlier in an accident that left a large dent in the cab roof. This realization was made after speaking to the locomotive's long-time maintainer, Neil Black, who shared the story of the incident.

Before you go an spend $2,000 on lube oil, spend a little more then $100 buck on a oil test kit. You will get a real good understanding of the health of the prime mover and what is going on based on the Tribology report. For example, you will know if there is water, fuel, bearing metal, coolant, viscosity, as so on. Also, if you don't know something is going on and you put in $2,000 of fresh oil, you have just blown two grand in oil, and, have to fix what is wrong.

I use ALS Tribologyhttps://www.alsglobal.com/us/locations/americas/north-america/usa/kansas/kansas-city-oil-fuel-coolant-analysis-tribologyAnd for $100 you get 10 sample jars. It's pretty simple, get the engine warm, pull a sample from a convenient spot, some folks ad a test spigot, and drop it in the mail. If you use there shipping container it will take 3 weeks to get there, I drop mine in a USPS priority envelope a for a few dollars more and it gets there is 2-3 days., another 4-5 to get the results. Just call the main number and who ever answers the phone can take your order, they take credit cards too.

To put it in perspective, I have not changed the oil in Lehigh Valley 112 since I got her running 8 years ago. I've just added make up oil. However in the past year I have been seeing an increase in Sodium which is an indicator of an internal coolant leak. I'll be re-sealing power assemblies soon.............

Oil Tribology is a very interesting science and have been very happy my friend clued me in on it. I normally pull a sample every 92 days and have been sampling a little more frequently with the recent results.

DONATIONS NEEDED FOR 1113 BELL Thank you to our generous donors who have helped us raise $220 towards our goal of $925. These funds will be used to defer the cost of an original Howard bell for Boston & Maine 1113 (aka 1849) recently purchased from a seller in Rhode Island. Please consider making a small donation so this locomotive can be properly restored for all to enjoy.

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